BlazBlue 3: Fade to Black
by YuukiTerumiSOL
Summary: Alternate ending to Continuum Shift. Moves on ahead to the time travel and goes on from there with Arakune as the Black Beast.
1. Arakune: 2nd Stage Transformation

BlazBlue 3

Copyright goes to Aksys Games, for the characters, and a bit of the concept and history.

_**Note: Every chapter has a different viewpoint corresponding to the character in the name of the chapter.**_

_**Arakune **_

_**~2**__**nd**__** Stage Transformation~**_

_I was in a dream. Not one of those dreams where they predict the future. Not a dream of memory. A dream of now. I was dreaming of what was happening to me right at this moment in time. Therefore, it would not have been much of a dream, more like me imagining what I could not see. I wasn't asleep. Could I even see at all? Maybe I couldn't. Or maybe it's this black cloud swirling around me, taking its form in every part of my body. I didn't fight it, for I wanted to become one. Become one with the Azure. Yes. The Azure Grimoire. I crave only the Azure. Azure, Azure, Azure…_

_My name is Lotte Carmine. Well, was. Today, they call me "Arakune." I go with it. Here is the story about how the world almost got destroyed. _

I had arrived at the Altar. I saw the man who carried the Azure in his right arm. Ragna, I think it was. I slopped down on the ground, my slimy body making squelchy noises as I flattened and watched the fight between Ragna and the other man with the Azure, Terumi. Then I saw_ her_. The twelfth subject. Kusanagi. Pure Azure. Azure, Azure, Azure! I hopped a little in excitement. If I merged with Kusanagi, I could become more powerful. Even more powerful than Ragna. Just as that thought came to mind, Terumi took a fall to the ground. His face slammed into the hard, detailed marble. He coughed up blood. Maybe this was my chance. Attack Ragna, incapacitate him long enough to fight Kusanagi. Devour Kusanagi. Become STRONGER! Kihihihihi! I slid closer, trying to be as quiet as I could. I dematerialized myself. They couldn't see me. Ragna picked Terumi up by the collar of his white dress shirt. Threw him across the Altar. Did he kill him? I doubt it. But he looked out of it. I went in for the kill.

I rematerialized behind Ragna. Grabbed him. He quickly turned around and slashed at me with his sword. "What the hell, how did you get here, ya big glob of slime?" Some of my seithr dripped off me and onto the ground. I wasn't going to give up to such an easy threat. I attacked with one of my spider-like arms, landed the hit, and Ragna grabbed his arm.

"Ku a gi is th em o men of t e Az re! I n ed th AZURE! Azure Azure Azure!" I yelled at him in a broken sentence, hardly understandable in text, but if you had heard it, you'd know what I was saying. Maybe a small bit more clearly. I summoned an insect, and it came up out of the ground, biting Ragna on the leg. He winced and tried to run after me, but he fell flat on his face. "Ju t DIE!" I hit him with my arm again, this time causing a pool of blood to come out of his right arm. And his right arm was no longer attached to his body.

"AH, GODDAMNIT! YOU BIG GL-GLOB OF SLIME! WHAT THE HELL!..." he fainted, screaming profanity, blood gushing from his mouth. I looked down at him, my mask holding a blank expression with three holes forming a sort of upside-down triangle.

I watched him close his eyes. Walked away, towards Kusanagi, who was about as knocked out as Terumi was, for reasons I have yet to figure out. But then again, I didn't really care. All I wanted was the Azure. Azure, Azure, Azure! My human voice came into play. "Kusanagi! GIVE ME THE AZURE!" I ran over closer to her, and she woke up. He eyes opened to me. A beautiful, bright blue iris reflected the lush orange scenery of the Altar. Her eyes matched her long, flowing blonde hair. She slowly stood up and stared at me with a blank, brain-dead expression, likely awaiting orders from her incapacitated master. "I'm your master now, 12," I said with my normal, un-distorted human voice. "Now, stand still."

I slowly wrapped my seithr around her fragile body. She kept staring with that same blank expression. Once I had completely covered her in the black goo-like substance, I slowly pulled her in. I can't believe it. I can finally be strong. Just before I had completely devoured 12, a familiar voice called out my nickname. "Arakune! Stop! Don't do that, please!" it was a soft voice, that of a woman I once knew…what was her name…? I couldn't remember. I could only remember her appearance, because it was right in front of me. Beautiful all in all. Very long black hair, tied up in a large ponytail. A red kimono, decorated with golden flora, and the most gorgeous purple eyes. I knew I had the potential to remember her name. Li-…Litch-…Litchi…? When I was Lotte, she and I worked together at Sector Seven.

I turned around, and in my seithr-distorted voice, said, "Li….tchi…" She walked closer, and I cowered in fear something would happen, negative, and destroy my chances of gaining power. I swung an arm at her, the sharp end making a small incision on her left arm. "Go aw y! Yo u'r go ng t r in EV RY NG! Go!"

She had never been that sensitive, but, once I shooed her off, she began crying, tears streaming down her soft face, faster than a waterfall. She ran away. I felt bad. But, then again, what is the monster supposed to be? A lover? This isn't some dumb Beauty and Beast romance shit. This is a search for power. And Litchi will only get in my way. Now, back to business…but where was Kusanagi?

I turned around. She had a blade on her wrist, and she was pointing it at me. "I am Death," she said, without any type of emotional tone. I slapped the blade off of her wrist with my claw-arm. Quickly, faster than last time, I wrapped my seithr around her shoulders, legs, and waist, and pulled her in. She was now part of me. The Azure was inside of me. I felt the strength pouring in. I was changing, turning, and becoming…something…unexpected. _Kihihihihihi!_


	2. Rachel: Mistress of Worry

_**Rachel Alucard**_

_**~Mistress of Worry~**_

I stared at the dark wall in front of me as I stood in this magic imprisonment circle, wondering how, exactly, matters were carrying out at the Altar. Will Ragna defeat Terumi? I knew this for sure. Unless there were to be some sort of shift in the time/space continuum, which was not likely, he will defeat him. Though, I was a small bit worried. Because there is a narrow possibility of him dying. If this were to happen, the Black Beast would reincarnate itself in another body, changing it. Or worse, the world would turn to dust.

I heard a slight whoosh sound in the air, and looked behind me. There were rose petals falling to the ground, and my butler, Valkenhayn, walked through a portal he had created. "Arriving to save the 'Damsel in Distress,' wolf-man?"

Valkenhayn chuckled and replied, "Yes, milady. I sensed that something of negative origin had happened here, so I decided to bring myself here to observe the situation," he said properly, " I may have also noticed that you're in a bit of a jam as well. Kokonoe trapped Hakumen in one of these magic circles, did she not? It should not be too hard to counter it."

And in minutes, I was free from the holds of the circle. I dusted myself off, for I did not want any filth on me. Ever. "Princess! We need to get to Ragna!" Nago demanded. Nobody demanded anything from me. I grabbed Nago by his tail and slammed him on the ground multiple times. "S-sorry princess! Ow…"

I apologized for the first time in my life. Nago gave me a confused expression, with a hint of pain in his eyes. I even stroked his head. "Sorry, Nago. But now, we have to see what is happening at the Altar. Valkenhayn, follow me!"

- .

"Yes, milady." I rushed up the steps, holding up my dress as to get nothing filthy on it. Gii; the fat red bat, Nago; a black, shape-shifting cat, and Valkenhayn; my werewolf butler, followed behind me. I heard yelling. The nurse, Litchi, came running down, tears streaming down her face. I stopped in front of her, caring for once. All she did was attempt to hit me with her staff, and I used my cat as a shield. "Nurse Litchi? Is something amiss? Have you been at the Altar?"

"Get out of my way!" Litchi yelled at me. She charged out of the Librarium. I wondered what was troubling her. Though, I dare not waste my time here. I must get to the Altar as soon as humanly (though I'm a vampire) possible.

"Alright, you three, let us continue forward." We marched up the green marble steps of the Librarium's cathedral and arrived at the Altar, where everything around was orange-tinted. There was an artificial warm-colored sky surrounding the area. In the center of the Altar there was a large rectangular monolith of stone, with the emblem of the Azure glowing in the middle of it. At the base of the Altar stood the black figure known as Arakune. In his grasp was the 12th subject. "Arakune! Don't!" I cried. I was too late. He had devoured her. On the ground, 5 feet from Arakune, was Ragna, beaten, bleeding to death. "Ragna!"

I rushed up to him and held his hand in mine. "Ragna, wake up, please!" No response. I could tell by the pulse in his wrist that he wasn't dead, and that was good, but he seemed to be making his way there.

"Madam Rachel, look, if you will, at Arakune," Valkenhayn said, slightly commanding.

I looked up at Arakune. He was changing, becoming…bigger. "Oh my! What is this monstrosity? Is this what I think it is…?" I said in a tone that gave the implication of worry.

"KIHIHIHIHI! Th Az re s MI E!" Arakune exclaimed in his broken English. His bronze spider-like arms retracted into his body, and he grew. He grew quite rapidly, expanding to heights of over 30 feet in 10 seconds.

Terumi, whom I had not noticed until now, stood up, trembling. "You-…you goddamn abomination…! WHY THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO THAT!" He yelled in an angry tone. Furious was more like it. There was blood sputtering from within his lips every time he spoke.

"Terumi," Valkenhayn said, "get the hell out of here! We might need you for this…"

Terumi tried walking. He failed. He slammed right down onto his stomach, more blood sputtering out of his mouth. "Ah…dammit…" he said, closing his eyes.

Arakune, on the other hand, reached his limit. He towered over the monolith and reached the top of the Altar room, destroying it. Chunks of metal and concrete pummeled down from the sky, and nearly landed on Valkenhayn, but his quick reflexes saved him from the impact. "My word! Arakune! Why, I ask you?"

Arakune only looked down at me, and his mask came off of him. There was nothing under it, surprisingly, and his body took the form of a kind of three-headed snake with large red eyes. "Madam Rachel…do you believe the same as I?"

"I think so…this looks like the Black Beast…" my eyes widened, showing extra red irises.

Ragna awoke from his short, pained slumber. "Wh-what the hell is going on here…? What…what is that?" He looked up at Arakune with a surprised look on his face. His stomach, I saw as he rolled over, was gushing out blood.

"Ragna, your stomach!" I yelled. Maybe a bit too over-dramatic, because he seemed fine. Spiritually, that is. I gripped his hand tighter.

"Rachel, help me up," Ragna demanded. With my tight grip on his hand, I pulled him up off the ground. "And before you ask me, yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about this wound."

"Wait, who is this man?" Valkenhayn inquired, standing about five feet behind me. I looked over to my left. He was a man dressed in green robes, and his green eyes glowed slightly orange in the backdrop of the Altar. He stepped closer and looked up at Arakune.

"Hey…what's all this about, Captain?" the green-dressed man asked, "It's like a giant glob of black goo. Well…maybe that is what it is."

Terumi, whom the green man addressed as Captain, remained unconscious. The green man just stared at him, and then looked over at us. "Oh, uh, I'm Ryou. I assume you're…Rachel, right? And, uh…Bloodedge. And Valkenhayn. Nice to meet you guys…now…uh…what's going on here?"

"Ryou, these matters are quite private, if you do not mind leaving." I said, "But if you would like to stay and help us with this abomination, you're welcome to do so." Ryou simply stood there and stood at Arakune. Up in the air, Arakune looked down, and we saw a red eyed snake face with bloody fangs.

And then, before I could blink, Arakune, Ragna, and Ryou began dematerializing. I grabbed for Ragna's hand, but my palm went right through his wrist as though he were air. "Rachel! What the hell is going on?" Ragna yelled to me. He disappeared. They all disappeared. I began to tear up a bit, but regained my strength, and wiped away the tears.

"Ragna…"

_**Rachel story: END**_


	3. Ragna: The Savior I

_**Ragna the Bloodedge **_

_**~The Savior, part **__**Ichi**___

What was happening here, I had absolutely no idea. Half of me was in one world, and the other half was in another world. I was dematerializing at the Altar, and materializing somewhere else…it looked like Earth, but I wasn't sure. There was a lot of dust, rocks, sand…a desert? I then saw grass…wait…I'm just outside of Kagutsuchi. I saw the road towards the city right in front of my left eye. In my right eye, I saw that the others were still disappearing as I was. I small wave of something…I don't know what it was, but it looked like shattered glass, passed over my other eye, and soon, I was completely materialized outside of the city. I fell to the ground, still bleeding a bit, my jacket torn to bits. I removed it quickly, throwing it onto the ground. Bits of red cloth began to circle around like a whirlpool as the wind blew in different directions. They fell back to the ground as the wind died down.

I began limping up a small hill, toward the city. The wind blew my hair in my face, and it obscured my vision as I saw a silhouette of a giant…what was that…? Wait…it was a snake-shaped black figure.

Damnit. It was Arakune. Scratch that, it was something worse. Black Beast Arakune. I raised my bloody arm up in front of me. "Restriction number 666 released…" as I muttered the words, the ruby-like object in my hand opened up and a red light shone out of it. "Deploying dimensional interference force field…Idea Engine engaged…BlazBlue, ACTIVATE!"

I smiled and walked slowly ahead.

_**Ragna Stories Part I End**_


End file.
